Instead of taking the one wooden chair in the corner, as if she were a child sitting in front of the principal’s desk, she chose to stand. And she chose the same pose as Sal, exactly opposite him. The stance didn’t go unnoticed.
“Antonia, please don’t make this difficult. You know we’re only looking out for your welfare,” Carlos said. “Please take a seat.”
“Thanks, but I prefer to stand,” Antonia smiled towards Carlos, then looked at Sal to start the conversation.
“Please have a seat,” Sal repeated more firmly.
“No thank you,” Antonia returned, her chin going up a notch at the intimidating look he was giving her.
Shaking his head almost imperceptibly, Sal pushed away from the bookfilled shelf behind him. “Antonia, I’ve told everyone about your job. Well, as much of it as I know. We’re all in agreement. Waitressing is no place for you. If you’re determined to work, we’ll find something in one of the companies that will be more appropriate,” Sal said, attempting to be conciliatory, but failing miserably because of his patronizing tone.
Antonia bristled. “Thank you, but I prefer the job I have already. Besides, if you thought I was capable of working in any of your companies, isn’t it a little late to offer me that option?” she challenged, looking each of them in the eye. “Shouldn’t I have been given the opportunity just as each of you were given?”
Michael, sensing that the tempers were increasing, stepped in trying to calm everyone down. “Antonia, you’re not like all of us. You’re a girl,” he said, his arms open, palms held upward, trying to make her understand.
She shook her head, astounded that they would think that was an adequate argument. “No, I’m a woman. I’m no longer a girl,” Antonia clarified. Being called a girl got her dander up. “And how does that exclude me from the work environment?” she demanded.
“You don’t need to work. Why would you want to?” Carlos asked as if it were the most obvious answer. “The women employed in my company would give their left arm to be in your position.”
Antonia refused to shed the tears of frustration pushing at the backs of her eyes. “And I’d give my left arm to be in theirs,” she said, almost in a whisper.
Giuseppe stepped in. “Just tell us where you’re working so we can all go check it out. That way, we’ll be able to see what this place is like, how you’re treated, all the things we worry about.”
Antonia shook her head. “No. This is my private life. I refuse to let you guys control it, approve of it, or offer any other type of judgment. You each have your own lives that are private and I never step in or judge anything you do, even when I privately disagree. All I’m asking for, demanding, is the same consideration.”
“And look what happens when we aren’t careful?” Carlo said, angry now but slightly embarrassed because of the subject. “Just this afternoon, Daniel saw you kissing Brett Hancock in the shrubs. You’ve only just met him.”
Antonia was instantly offended. “Are any of you going to tell me that you have never been kissed before? None of you are married either!” she asked, the outrage seeping into her voice. She was pleased to see all five men blush in varying degrees. “Good,” she said with a nod. “That will be the end of that conversation. I don’t ever want that brought up again.”
“Well, don’t worry, you won’t ever see him again,” Sal interjected. “I’ll make sure to do my business at the office from now on.”
Antonia whirled on him. “If I want to see him, that’s my own business. If I want to sleep with him, you’ll not have any say in that.” She didn’t say another word, shocked herself at what she’d just said.
Antonia knew she’d gone too far at that point. All five brothers, Sal in the lead, moved towards her. “What are you telling me?” Sal said, the vein in his cheek throbbing just as it had on Friday. “Have you slept with him?” he asked, the fury evident in his face.
Antonia stopped leaning against the bookcase. She’d never seen all her brothers this angry before.
starting to tower over her.
But she refused to back down despite the way they were “No. I haven’t. To be completely honest, I don’t want to have anything to do with the man. He’s not my type. But that’s my option. If I want to sleep with him, or any other man, at any time, I’m going to do it,” she said, taking a cautious step towards the doorway.
Sal shook his head, throwing his arms up in exasperation. “Ok, that’s it. I’m driving you to your apartment and you’re going to pack up your things and move back in here.”
“No,” Antonia said, refusing to take another step back.
Sal had started to turn away, but at her defiance, he stopped and turned towards her. “What did you say?” he demanded quietly, his eyebrows raised.
Her chin went up another notch. “I said no,” Antonia repeated, desperately hanging on to her shredded confidence. “Thank you for a lovely afternoon. I’m leaving now,” she said and moved to the closed, double doors of the library.
“How are you getting home?” Carlos asked to her back. “Wait a few minutes and I’ll drive you,” he said and turned to Sal to say something to him that Antonia couldn’t hear.
Looking back at the five men standing almost in a circle, she knew she’d angered and hurt all of them. “No thanks,” she said, trying not to let them know how close to tears she was. “I’ll manage on my own. Just as I always have.” Not wanting to stay in the room any longer, she turned the knob on the door to the library.
“Antonia, think clearly,” Thomas said, quickly stepping out of the circle to stop her from leaving and attempting to reason with her. He’d been silent throughout the confrontation, but he moved towards her now. “How can you say you’ve made it on your own? You never wear anything we haven’t given you? How can you afford to dress? What do you do for money? I know you work as a waitress, Sal told us that. But wouldn’t you like to make some real money? Something that you can tell us about and be proud of?” Thomas said.
Antonia shook her head, leaning it against the door. Slowly, she turned back, the tears glittering in her eyes. She couldn’t tell them about her own wardrobe. It was just another lie on top of all the others. She couldn’t take any more disappointment from the men in this room. Despite their autocratic natures, they loved her and she loved them back. They were a fiercely loyal family. She was just stepping out of the ranks in this case.